


The End of the Illusion

by Yukion



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Light Angst, Light Drama, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 11:09:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16262981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yukion/pseuds/Yukion
Summary: With university entrance exam results and graduation right around the corner, Umi asks to meet up with Eli after school to talk to her about something.





	The End of the Illusion

“So, why’d you want to meet up?” Umi stared at her hands, squirming under the table and out of Eli’s field of view, as Eli asked that question.

“Well…” Umi trailed off and glanced up at Eli. Her blonde hair caught the orange light from the window and reflected it into Umi’s eyes. That was the reason Umi would give if Eli asked why she looked back down at her hands, or why she wouldn’t look at her even though they were speaking. Her hair, or her eyes, or her smile… any part of Eli that shone under the light would work.

She shouldn’t lie, Umi thought. Maybe she’d say nothing.

“When are your results coming in?” Umi asked.

“To-mor-row,” Eli sang before sighing. “I’m nervous.”

“Me, too.” As Eli hummed and leaned closer, Umi looked up and sat as far back as the cushions of the chair would allow her. “I mean, knowing you, I’m sure you did well.”

“I can always go to the local university if I didn’t.”

“Hey, you shouldn’t settle. I _know_ you did well.”

“You sure seem eager for me to leave, Umi.” Eli said with a smile. Umi smiled back, then she looked outside at cars and people passing by, and the curve of her lips flattened. “Well, you’ll be safe from my teasing, I guess.”

Umi said nothing. She hated herself for it.

“We should order,” Eli said.

“Y-yeah, we shouldn’t loiter.”

* * *

 “You know, after all this time, you never told me why you liked archery.” Their food had arrived, and they occasionally paused to eat as they chatted.

“If you ask me on the spot, it’s hard to come up with an answer.”

“That’s true…” Eli chuckled.

“Well if I had to say one thing… it’s how focused I have to be while shooting a bow. To hit the target, an archer has to drown out everything else and concentrate on their breathing and their stance and the tension and-” Umi laughed. “Sorry, I started rambling.”

“It’s fine.” Eli motioned for Umi to continue.

“That’s why I suppose. I can really calm down on the range.”

“You sure are disciplined, Umi,” Eli said in a half-joking voice. “You must hit the bullseye every time.” Umi pouted in response to the tease, then looked down and smiled slightly.

“In theory, that’s what supposed to happen, right? But it doesn’t really work like that,” Umi said.

“Oh?”

“You can train and be disciplined, but one slip-up can change everything. Maybe you took too shallow of a breath or a gust of wind comes by or something.” Umi’s smile had disappeared sometime while she was talking. “No matter how focused you are on the target, no matter how clear every step is in your mind... you can still miss the mark.”

The silence between them hung in the air.

“But enough about archery,” Umi said. “What about you and ballet?”

“I only got into it because of my family.”

“But you looked like you were enjoying it so much in those old videos.” Eli groaned.

“P-please forget those.”

“Nope.” Umi crossed her arms and turned her head. “After all, those videos are where I first saw how amazing you were.”

“Eh?” Eli’s eyes widened. A faint flush appeared on Umi’s cheeks.

“I-I mean as a performer!” Umi put her hands in between them, trying to stop Eli from seeing her flustered expression.

“Oh.” Umi lowered her hands and saw Eli looking out of the window and into the distance. “Ballet is like an illusion.”

“What do you mean?”

“Really good ballet transports you to a different world. It makes people forget about whatever is going on in their lives and makes them watch as a story unfolds. A story that will never be told again, since every performance is different. You see what I’m saying?”

“Yeah, I’m following.”

“But…”

“Hmm?”

“It has to end eventually,” Eli said. Umi opened her mouth to say something, anything. She couldn’t. “And when the spell is lifted, sure the illusion might linger in their memories for a while, but everyone’s back in the real world.”

Umi watched as Eli looked away from the window and back at her. Eli looked down and took a bite of her food. She smiled after swallowing.

“It’s cold.”

“Let’s finish up.”

* * *

The sun had almost fully set when Eli and Umi walked outside of the family restaurant. They were silent as they moved towards the station, where they would part.

“So, tell me,” Eli said. “You didn’t set this up to chat about ballet, right?”

“No, that’s not the reason.” Umi slowed down when she saw a park. Umi motioned for Eli to follow, and the two of them sat down on the swings.

“Go ahead.”

She wouldn’t lie or hide this time, Umi thought.

“There’s someone I like.” Eli gasped.

“You? Like? What?” Umi didn’t react as she normally would to Eli’s sarcasm-tinged questions.

“I-it surprised me too. Especially since…”

“Since what?”

“I don’t think I should feel this way. I don’t think it’s good for either of us,” Umi said. “But I want to confess so that we can move past this.”

“But… what if that person likes you back?” Eli asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what will happen then.” Umi looked up to the stars that started to shine as the sky grew darker. “But I doubt it.”

“Umi.” She flinched at the firmness of Eli’s voice.

“W-what?”

“Confessing to move on… don’t you think that’s sad?”

“Why do you say that?”

“A confession is like telling someone that you’re ready to be accepted by them, and, at the same time, that you’re willing to be hurt by them. It takes a lot of resolve to do something like that, you know?” Eli started swinging back and forth, and Umi couldn’t see her expression clearly. “Confessing changes everything between you two. Are you really willing to throw it all away to move on?”

“So what would you do? Say nothing and let things stay the same? We can’t move forward by hiding the truth.”

“Why not? Why can’t you two stay friends and be happy with that?”

“Because I love her.” Eli slowed the swing down and planted her feet on the ground. Umi returned her stare. “Because keeping these feelings inside lets them grow and grow. And it’s not stopping. It’ll take over my life if I don’t say anything.”

“You… love her?” Eli asked.

“Yes, I love-” Umi cut off the last word of her sentence, but it lingered in her mind. “I love her.”

Eli started swinging again, this time picking up more and more speed. Umi watched her silently. Eli jumped off the swing and landed on her feet, posing like a gymnast who stuck the landing.

“Who is it? No, don’t tell me. I want to be surprised.” Eli faced away from Umi, looking forward, and Umi stared.

“Eli…”

“I’ll support you. No matter who it is, whether or not she accepts you, I’ll be here for you. We’re friends, after all.” Umi stood up and walked towards her.

“Is there someone you like, Eli?” Umi asked.

“Yeah. We’re in the same boat.” Eli answered without turning towards Umi.

“And you’re not gonna say anything?” Eli shook her head. “Why not?”

“Because... I love her.” Umi noted the pause and stared at Eli’s rigid back. As she kept watching, she noticed Eli tremble.

_The illusion has to end eventually._

Umi walked forward and wrapped her arms around Eli’s waist.

“U-Umi?”

“Please, let me do this.” Eli stopped squirming in Umi’s arms, but started shaking instead.

“I’m supposed to support you, not the other way around.”

“I’m not supporting you. I disagree with your method.”

“Then why?”

“There’s something else I need to tell you. Turn around.” Eli shook her head, but Umi spun her around. Eli’s tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the ground. Umi wiped them with her one sleeve as she held Eli with her other arm.

“W-what?” Eli asked.

“If- no, _when_ you make it into your first choice, and we don’t get to see each other as much anymore, and we start to grow apart…” As she spoke, Umi stared into Eli’s teary eyes. “I- um... I’m willing to be hurt by you.”

“Wha-” Umi’s face was bright red, but she didn’t falter.  
  
“I love you,” Umi said. Eli hugged her back, and started crying into her shoulder. Umi held Eli tightly, and could feel her own eyes growing wet.

“I love you, too.”

With the spell lifted, Eli and Umi repeated their previously silent confessions aloud, over and over, as they continued to deepen their embrace.


End file.
